Post navigation

HOW TO SHOOT A WOLF (THE VORACITY SERIES):Anna Williams is the photographer behind the “Voracity” Series. The pictures (above) are from one of my favorites of the series, the “How to Shoot a Wolf”. Here, an Interview with Anna.

WHAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND “HOW TO SHOOT A WOLF”?This shoot was inspired by MFK Fisher’s book, ‘How to Cook a Wolf. “The “Wolf” is the Hunger that creeps into the daily life of those that lived post World War II and during the time of food rationing… the ‘wolf’ is a metaphor for hunger.

YOUR VORACITY SERIES WAS BORN BECAUSE?The series came out of a desire to explore a more creative way of shooting. I’ve always loved shooting for magazines, but they have their own needs and direction, so I wanted to assign myself the kind of stories that would push me to the next level. Almost like, I wanted to regain control of my own career by exploring some of my own ideas and own vision. It has also pushed me on a technical level; finding new approaches to light and mood, which has also helped me in my commercial work.

HOW DO YOU MAKE TIME FOR THIS?We produce these shoots just like any other shoot—mainly it depends on the availability of all the artists we call in to work on it. It is always a big team and so the dates all have to line up.

WHAT WAS YOUR VISUAL INSPIRATION FOR THE WOLF SHOOT?I met with the stylists, Pamela Duncan Silver and Heidi Johannsen (one of the creative forces behind Bellocq Tea), and we talked a lot about that feeling of what it must have been like at home during the wartime. That feeling of longing and worry, it is a little darker. So it is almost like a period piece, both in the sets and in the emotion. And MFK Fisher’s book does have some of that darkness of feeling, but approaches it in such a rich way. The way she wrote was so beautiful, that even in the most difficult times there was this light that just shined through.

ANNA WILLIAMS: was born in Richmond, Virginia, and studied photography at the University of the South. After shooting for commercial clients all over the world, in 2010 Anna launched her project ‘The Voracity,’ an exploration of her personal vision. When she’s not looking through the lens, she is racking up the frequent flier miles with her husband and 2 young kids, Novie and Hugo.

I keep thinking of how hard it must have been for Hiyaw’s mother. Her husband had been busy, tirelessly doing agriculture work for the Emperor and then the New Regime, and teaching them how to grow crops, and find fertile land. The government, who had made note of this, didn’t want him to help them, and so had promptly put his name on a death list.

When they realized they needed to escape, Hiyaw’s mother, who was 9 months pregnant, and her husband walked for 17 days into the desert, out of Ethiopia and into Djibouti, where she would give birth to Hiyaw, in a tent, with only a camel as their witness.

The name Hiyaw, (pronounced Hee-Ohw) means immortal. (It’s a heavy name to carry, Hiyaw has a tattoo, of his name etched permanently, immortally—if you want, on his left arm) but though he was born in Djibouti, Hiyaw ended up growing up in a Leftridge, Alberta, Canada, practically the only black person, and the only Ethiopian family in the neighborhood.

His dad, an interlectual, who was educated in Tel Aviv, tried to assimilate in the white suburbs of Canada. He drove a taxi; he sold vacuum cleaners. They worked hard and eventually got three restaurants in Toronto, but due to some bad luck, lost them, and then his mom, by herself, opened two more restaurants in Michigan, which are still going strong.

Hiyaw doesn’t know if it was a conscious thing to start selling the food he grew up with, but he thinks it was more instinct, probably. The moment of clarity was sitting in his parents restaurant in Michigan and seeing his dad cooking, and his mom trying to convince him to stay in Michigan and run the business and him arguing with them and saying they should “just package the food and sell it like that”, and when he went home that night, he couldn’t get the idea out of his mind.

Each of the 5 dishes from his packaged food menu have a rich memory attached to them. The Yellow Split Pea dish, for instance, reminds him of a scenario that happened when he was a child. His mother and his aunts would pick over the lentils and at the same time chat about their husbands, and their kids. It was hard work, but it was a time he remembers fondly.

And Hiyaw’s hard work has paid off; his packaged food has created buzz. He was highlighted in an article in Food and Wine magazine this last November, (Click here to see the article.)He was also approached by PBS to do a travel show within Africa, where he would go into the villages and see how the women are making their family’s food. BET has also contacted him, to expand “Task Ethiopia” to feed more people, and expose people to African cuisine, and there are a bunch of other things in the works.

His next goal is to create fusions, but not fusions within different cultures, like French and African. Hiyaw wants to create food fusions within Africa. Fusing South, East, West and North African food. The hardest part about being the first one to do the Ethiopian food-to-go thing, is there are no footsteps to follow. Although there are models for other businesses, such as Indian or Japanese, there are none so far for Ethiopian. Because of this, Hiyaw is always thinking that he has to do a good job so the world gets to taste and eat what he grew up with, and loves. But he needn’t worry. So far, his execution is flawless. Go out and pick up his food. It’s wonderful.

—————–

Taste of Ethiopia has currently 5 cuisines you can pick up in New York and eat at home: Misir (spicy red lentils), Kik (Yellow Split Peas), Gomen (Collard Greens), Yatikilt (cabbage and Carrots) Injera (Ethiopian Flat Bread)

And how do they taste? The food is restaurant grade, and it has such a depth of flavor, it’s filling and also reasonably priced. I like to pick up the Misir (really spicy! red lentils), the Kik (Yellow Split Peas) and the Gomen (Collard Greens) and mix them together. Of course Ethiopian food gets obvious comparisons to Indian food because of the similar heat and spices, but this feels a less fatty, but still spicy version of an Indian take-away, and it’s Vegan! I don’t know of any other dishes of this calibre that you can pick up, sup on for a couple of days, and still feel really good about what you’re eating. I even froze some leftovers and they re-heated up just fine.

To check out more about Chef and OwnerHiyaw Gebreyohannes Taste of Ethiopia,click here.

For those not in the New York area, who want to try Hiyaw’s food, you can get a recipe for the Yatikilt (cabbage and Carrots), here. And a recipe for the Misir (spicy red lentils), here.

Le Paddock is a French Bistro and Tapas Wine Bar near the South end of Prospect Park. It’s run by Sylvie Bertrand and Gregory Tetaud, who recognized the need in the Windsor Terrace neighborhood for a place that locals could go to to taste superior wine picks, and chow down on classic French Bistro food.

Roasted Whole Garlic, with Flat Bread, Devilled Eggs, and Beef Bourguignon are the highlights. (The later being a traditional family recipe that came from Greg’s mom). The Wood-Burning Brick Oven keeps the place warm, ochre-lit and cosy and churns out all the french-style pizzas (the dough is crispy here, not chewy, like an Italian dough), that make up the Brick Oven Pizza Menu. My favorite is the Forrestiere, which is Wild Mushrooms, Pancetta, and Truffle Oil. My other favorite is the Harvest Pizza, that has Butternut Squash, Feta, shredded Brussels Sprouts, and Chili flakes on a home-made Fromage Blanc base. Both are divine. And while I’m yet to make my way down the entire Main Courses menu, locals swear by the Lamb Burger and love the French Onion Soup.

Sylvie and Greg’s philosophy is to use less ingredients and dot them throughout the menu. The brussels sprouts for instance, make an appearance on the Small Bites list, in the form of Flash-Fried Brussels Sprouts with Hot Long Peppers and Lemon Aioli as well as on the Harvest Pizza. (Mentioned and photographed above).

The Le Paddock name (easy to understand in French as well as English) is a nod to the nearby stable of horses, that trot continuously around the South Lake Drive of Prospect Park. The restaurant has lots of charming but understated pony-and-rider type paraphernalia, with a giant ceramic horses head right above the bar. By train, bus or car, (the restaurant is right opposite the Ft Hamilton Parkway subway stop) locals flock to this place for a quiet drink on the way home or to hunker down for a night of comforting French dishes, delicious wines and friendly local banter.

————

LE PADDOCK is located in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn at 1235 Prospect Avenue at the corner of Reeve Place right off the Fort Hamilton stop on the F/G trains. Click here to go to their website.

Nothing diminishes the inevitable blues of the closing of Summer like embracing the brisk coolness of Fall. So last weekend, we donned jackets with several layers and went apple picking. I’m not sure what kind of apples we picked, I just know we climbed a lot of ladders, and I did take a (big, brutal and hard!) apple to the head, but by the time we got home, we had collected a huge bushel of taunt, green, apples, along with remnants of cinnamon sugar, crunchy on our lips, from the farm-made apple cider donuts that the orchard sold, that we scoffed down on the car ride back.

————–

WHAT TO DO WITH THE APPLES?
3 RECIPES:

1 ) SALTED CARAMEL APPLE PIEThe recipe is based on a recipe from Tyler Florence, but with three notes: 1) The caramel sauce also has a cup of red wine, which is really different and interesting. Try it! 2) the recipe doesn’t call for salt, so I added a good pinch of salt to the caramel sauce, which gave it that great salty/sweet taste, and finally 3) the recipe says ‘constantly stir’ the caramel and I would advise not to stir. You need to let it sit, to set up, and only ‘swirl’ the pan occasionally. If you constantly stir the sugar and water mixture it will have a tough time converting to caramel.

3 ) UNSWEETENED APPLE SAUCEThis makes about 5 or 6, 8 oz jars and wonderful to do on a Sunday afternoon, when the smell of simmering apples will premeate the house.

Core, but don’t peel about 12 apples. (Apples other than Granny Smith’s will make for a sweeter sauce) Place in a heavy base saucepan and gently simmer in a little bit of water, stirring occasionally until apples are soft, and skins start peeling off. When apples are mushy, add a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. (You can add sugar to taste, but I did not add sugar, as the apples we picked were very sweet). Puree through a food mill which will make for a finer puree and separate the skins, and then pour into sterilized jars, (I boiled the empty jars with their lids, on a rolling boil for 14 mins) then poured the apple in, and then placed lids on while the apple puree was still hot, then I placed back in the water bath and continued to boil for another 14 minutes. Then let the jars cool. Lids should be flat, and not have the ability to pop up, then you will know they will be Ok to be stored. For basic tips for first time canners, click here.

TIP:Make up your own personalized labels and print them out, and glue them to cool jars. Give the jars to family members, teachers, friends, at Holiday or Christmas time. Getting Holiday gifts covered before the season starts? Now that feels really good.

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

—————————-

The day before Hurricane Sandy, we all went up to the country, and we brought along gifts.

The countryside’s haunting, unassuming beauty always surprises me, and while there is nothing wrong with the city, in the country I can breathe easier, there’s a slower pace, and I can stop, take a moment, and not rush at all.

Kaitlyn Du Ross brought up a stack of beautiful linens, some knitted throws, and her squat, fawn-colored dishes, overflowed. Anna Helm Baxter and I drove up with the food. Her lemon-y, crunchy, roasted chicken was perfect, my sweet potato anna set the oven on fire.

I’d pickled some eggs, too, in ruby-red beet juice, and Anna had made us two pies; a tart, choc-full of walnuts buried deep in a hot caramel sauce and an apple pie, rustic-style, with a free-from dough.

I made biscuits using Scott Peacock’s recipe from Kim Severson. The dough was flaky, light. The secret is stabbing it with a flour-dipped fork, repeatedly. Funnily enough that’s what makes it rise. In my first batch, I didn’t do it, and they were flat, and tough, like circular hockey pucks.

Photographer Justin Walker bought his camera and his axe, and proceeded to make light work of the boughs, and tree limbs that ended up in short stacked little logs. As the winds started to swirl, from the much-to-close Hurricane, Kaitlyn donned a wintery sweater, Justin pulled out a deck of cards and Anna emerged with her feast, and we hunkered down, to eat, almost holding our breaths, waiting for what surely was to come…

“The chicken I added kosher salt (maybe 4 TBSP) and rubbed all over placed in a ziplock for 24 hours. I then dry off the chicken with paper towel and rubbed with softenened butter all over. I re-seasoned, stuffed it with rosemary, thyme, lemon and garlic cloves cut in half through the equator and cooked at 425F for 1 hour, until golden and the juices run clear when a skewer pokes into the thigh.”

Heat oven to 375F. Put the flour in a food processor with the butter and sugar and mix until it forms fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and 1-2 Tbsp cold water and pulse to make a firm dough. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Have ready a pie dish. Briefly knead the pastry on a lightly floured surface, then roll out to a round about 2 inches larger than your pie pan. Lift on to the pan with the help of your rolling pin, then press into the corners using your finger. Trim and shape dough. Chill for 30 minutes

Fill the pastry case with a round of parchment and baking beans. Blind-bake for 10 minutes, remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the crust looks dry and is very slightly golden.

To make the filling, put the sugar in a large pan with 3 Tbsp cold water. Heat gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the sugar is completely dissolved, increase heat and bubble until the syrup has turned a rich caramel color. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until it has dissolved, then stir in the cream. Return to the heat and boil hard, stirring until the sauce is thick enough to leave a gap on the base of the pan when you draw your spoon across it. Stir in the walnuts.

Fill the pastry case with the nut mixture, leveling it with a fork. Return to the oven for 8-10 minutes until the filling is bubbling. Allow to cool.

Meat-eaters will clamour for Michael Symon‘s new cookbook, that hit bookstalls, last week. It contains 120 new recipes for beef, pork, poultry, lamb, goat and game, and luckily Michael doesn’t shy away from the unpopular bits either, (the book contains great ideas for veal hearts, sweetbreads and tripe). His house bacon, though, caught my eye, as I’ve always wanted to try making my own bacon at home. Due to my kind and generous friends over at Random House Publishing, (thanks Emily! Thanks Allison!) they agreed to part with the recipe for Michael’s House Bacon from the newly released book for my blog, (you lucky readers and subscribers!) together with the Honey Nectarines recipe, which I think would be a great side-dish to any of the meat recipes in his new cookbook. Enjoy!

—————

HOUSE BACON
From Michael Symon’s new cookbook “Carnivore”Michael says Bacon is like a good pair of Levi’s; it’s never goes out of style. He also says by mixing and matching your own favorite herbs and spices you can customize this recipe to suit your own tastes.To get other recipes, or to order the book, click here.

1) Mix the kosher salt, pink curing salt, and brown sugar. Thoroughly coat the pork belly with this mixture, making sure to use it all. Put the belly on a rimmed baking sheet and cover it with a piece of parchment paper. Put another baking sheet on top of the belly and weight it down with a few heavy cans or plates. Put it in the refrigerator to cure for 7 days.

2) Rinse the pork belly in cold water and put it on a baking sheet lined with a rack. Refrigerate the belly, uncovered, overnight to dry it out a bit.

3) Prepare and set a smoker to 200°F. Using apple-wood chips, smoke the pork belly for 1 hour. Continue cooking the belly in the smoker, without smoke, until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F, about 3 hours.

4) When the bacon is done, remove it from the smoker and refrigerate for several hours. It will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer.

—————–

HONEY NECTARINES
From Michael Symon’s new cookbook “Carnivore”Michael says this is great with grilled meats, but also great spooned over vanilla bean ice-cream.To get other recipes, or to order the book, click here.

An inventive lighter twist on the standard dense pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving:
Everyone worked so super hard on the November Issue of Food and Wine magazine, (which is still on newsstands now, so go pick it up!) and as I’m deciding what to cook for Thanksgiving, this is one dish I’m definitely going to make.

The tart is a crispy, sweet, light version of dessert. Something to replace the heavy, dense, regular pumpkin pie, that by the end of thanksgiving, is hard to even make room for. This elegant puff pastry is quick to make. You’ll be surprised at how delicious butternut squash is for dessert. Look for a squash with a long neck.

1) Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and butter the paper. Brush the squash with the melted butter and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sugar. Roast for about 45 minutes, flipping the squash slices halfway through, or until softened. Let cool.

2) Meanwhile, roll out the pastry to a 14-by-6-inch rectangle and transfer it to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Prick the pastry all over with a fork and refrigerate until firm, about 5 minutes. Top with another sheet of parchment paper and a flat cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is lightly golden on the bottom but not set. Remove the top cookie sheet and parchment and bake for 10 minutes longer, until the pastry is golden and crisp. Let cool.

3) Blend the cream cheese with the cinnamon and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of sugar and spread it on the pastry. Arrange the squash slices on top. Brush with the apricot preserves and sprinkle with pecans. Cut into slices and serve.